He said: “We were ridiculed and name called, xenophobes, racists, casually thrown out.

“This paper says border controls are in the interests of member states. Those of us who have been saying that for years are vindicated.

“Only the people of Europe are saying why did it take you so long to come to the same conclusion?”

Under the proposals EU member states will be required to carry out systematic checks on all travels entering and exiting the bloc’s external borders and to share information on potential terrorists via security databases.

They are expected to come into force in mid April if ratified by all the major EU institutions and will mark the biggest step Brussels has taken to tackle the threat of terror attacks.

Maltese MEP Roberta Metsola said: “Controls at our external borders are crucial. Having systematic checks for persons enjoying the right of free movement is both necessary and required.”

She admitted the EU has “learnt some difficult lessons over the last few years” and added: “We cannot allow terrorists to hide behind the protection afforded to them by their European passports.

“We simply must know whether people coming or going pose a threat.”

But the proposals were opposed by some left-wing politicians who said that they would water down the EU’s principle of free movement and discriminated against migrants trying to enter the continent.

Migrants clash with police across Europe
Wed, February 15, 2017

Migrants clash with each other in over crowded camps across Europe.

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Moroccan Police look at immigrants trying to jump the six-meter-high fence in Ceuta, Spanish enclave on the north of Africa, 09 December 2016.

Spanish MEP Marina Albiol Guzman raged: “You want to make freedom of movement into something totally contrary to that, to create fear and make people go back to where they are not safe and where they are not able to seek refuge in our countries.

“Those who are dangerous are you here who are trying to push forward legislation that is contrary to human rights.”

But British EU Commissioner Julian King, who is presenting the proposal, said it was necessary to address the huge lack of confidence people have in Brussels to keep them safe.

He said: “Security is one of the major concerns of our citizens and we believe that the reinforcement of checks will reinforce our external borders and strengthen our knowledge about who enters and leaves our shared space.”

The package will be voted on tomorrow by members of the European Parliament sitting in Strasbourg. If passed it will be put before member states on March 5, and after that be put onto the EU statute books.